Just curious about the proportion of people who normally sit on public toilet seats vs. those who don’t!

I hate sitting on public toilet seats and if I have to sit on one, I put a layer of toilet paper on it or use those toilet seat covers if they’re there. The idea of sitting where strangers’ bare bottoms has been grosses me out completely! In fact I often do not sit down to pee, but if there is any mess from that I ALWAYS clean it up.

Here’s a fun quote I saw in a bathroom when I was about 12: “If you sprinkle when you tinkle, be a sweetie and wipe the seatie.”

Depends on where the toilet is. Some times the bathrooms are pretty spotless and if thye don’t have seat covers I don’t want to hover and tinkle all over the seat for the next person so I sit. I don’t care as long as theres no pee on it already! But there are definitely plenty of times I hover and/or use a seat cover.

I answered the first option in your poll but really it depends on the situation. I always sit, but depending on the state of the seat and the availability of covers, I may or may not use a cover. If there is anything visible on the seat, I will wipe it down (if it appears to just be spray from flushing) or find a different toilet.

Helllls no. I try to avoid using them period. Unless it’s an extreme case where I can’t hold it anymore I will put toilet paper down to cover the seat. Sometimes I’ll squat which requires good aiming 😡 tmi

Depends on location. At work (downtown head office) I just sit, I know those bathrooms are cleaned 3 times daily and the ladies using them are clean professional and high class. In a more public place, I will usually cover with toilet paper/seat cover. If it’s a really repulsive bathroom, I’ll hover. If I make any mess myself I’ll wipe it up, but I’m not wiping up anyone else’s mess. And I always use my foot to flush, except at work they’re automatic flushers.

For the most part, I hover. I realllllly don’t like the idea of sharing a toilet seat with thousands of people (i.e. in a mall).

At my old job, where there were 10 people using the ladies room, I sat down. I knew them all personally and the general public wasn’t allowed in that part of the building.

ETA: I’m an expert hoverer 😉 but if I did accidentally pee on the seat, of course I would wipe it down! Why people would think it’s ok to urinate all over the damn place and then leave is just beyond me.

Women’s restrooms are dirtier because women squat to pee. Your urine goes everywhere — On the walls, on the floor, on the door (and the little latch), making it much filthier to squat than to sit your butt on the seat and pee. Just because you don’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not there.

The toilet seat covers are a placebo — They make you think you’re actually doing something, but whether or not the seat is there, your “risk of catching something” will be the same unless you live in an area where there is something highly infectious, like cholera. But even in that case, you’ll probably catch it from another person and not a toilet seat/toilet stall.

Your skin is an amazing organ and will barrier out most bacteria and viruses you could come in contact with on a toilet seat. So, unless you have huge open sores on your rump, I don’t see the need to put a barrier between you and seat.

@ANGELaaimt: exactly my thoughts — your actual orifices aren’t touching the seat at any point (at least, I certainly HOPE they aren’t …), and neither are anyone else’s, so it’s really no worse than touching any other surface that other people have touched before you. Hell, the backs of my thighs are probably cleaner than my hands!